U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Nissan MURANO problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

800 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

72,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 691 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 157 of 800 complaints (19.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	185	23.1%
Engine operation	116	14.5%
Braking behavior	106	13.3%
Electrical and battery issues	101	12.6%
Fuel system concerns	30	3.8%
Steering behavior	29	3.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

157

Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator

120

Seats

102

Power Train

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	157
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	120
Seats	102
Power Train	89
Electrical System	88
Engine And Engine Cooling	72
Vehicle Speed Control	55
Engine	45

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 157; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 120; Seats: 102; Power Train: 89; Electrical System: 88; Engine And Engine Cooling: 72; Vehicle Speed Control: 55; Engine: 45

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

109

25,000 to 49,999

110

50,000 to 74,999

136

75,000 to 99,999

159

100,000 to 149,999

149

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 109; 25,000 to 49,999: 110; 50,000 to 74,999: 136; 75,000 to 99,999: 159; 100,000 to 149,999: 149; 150,000 and above: 28

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (159). 109 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

104

2009

109

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2003: 20; 2004: 71; 2005: 90; 2006: 40; 2007: 35; 2008: 104; 2009: 109; 2010: 95; 2011: 84; 2012: 43; 2013: 21; 2014: 24; 2015: 15; 2016: 14; 2017: 13; 2018: 8; 2019: 4; 2020: 3; 2021: 7

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 185 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 116 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 106 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10047964 · 2003-12-10 (December 10, 2003)

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE OUT OF DRIVEWAY VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK CONSUMER ALSO HAD DRIVESHAFT AND DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEMS. *PH

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10047964 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10054431 · 2004-01-19 (January 19, 2004)

2003 NISSAN MURANO SE 4WD HAS SEVERAL ISSUES. FIRSTLY THE RIGHT SIDE SUN VISOR CLIP IS DEFECTIVE AND WILL NOT HOLD VISOR IN PLACE: 3 TRIPS TO DEALER HAVE NOT RESOLVED THIS ISSUE AS THEY NEVER HAVE THE PART. SECONDLY THE CVT TRANSMISSION PRESENTS A PROBLEM ON HOLDING THE VEHICLE IN PLACE ON A UPHILL INCLINE...IF YOU DON'T BRAKE, THE VEHICLE JUST ROLLS BACK, AS OPPOSED TO STANDARD AUTO TRANSMISSION WHICH LOCKS, AND PREVENTS SIGNIFICANT ROLLBACK. *CB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10054431 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10036740 · 2003-08-28 (August 28, 2003)

3 TIMES MY MURANO HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ALL 3 TIMES IT HAS TO BE TOWED (OVER A 2 MONTH PERIOD APPROX. 4K MILES NOW, STARTED AT JUST OVER UNDER 3K). THE FIRST 2 TIMES, THE ENGINE WOULD AT LEAST TURN, BUT NOT START. THE LAST TIME IT WOULD NOT EVEN TURN. IT SEEMS TO BE TEMPORARY BECAUSE WHEN THE DEALER LOOSK AT THE NEXT DAY, IT STARTS AND THEY SAY THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10036740 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10048805 · 2003-11-29 (November 29, 2003)

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT LOW RPM'S. WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND GOING AROUND A TURN, THE POWER STEERING WILL COMPLETELY FAIL. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED 6 ACCIDENTS IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS. ONLY HAPPENS AT LOW RPM'S.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10048805 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10048807 · 2003-11-29 (November 29, 2003)

BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH LITTLE TO NO EFFORT. DURING A PANIC STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE CAR STOPS. ALSO, WHILESTANDING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE PEDAL WILL SLOWLY SINK DOWN TO THE FLOOR WITH LITTLE TO NO PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10048807 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10050972 · 2003-12-22 (December 22, 2003)

BRAKES SQUEAK WHEN CAR IS IN REVERSE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TWICE, AND THEY TELL ME THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. NISSAN HAS NOT BEEN RESPONSIVE AT ALL TO THEIR DEALERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10050972 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10052469 · 2004-01-06 (January 6, 2004)

2003 NISSAN MURANO SL AWD , ALTERNATOR DEFECTIVE. BATTERY LIGHT COMES UP. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 15,556 miles reported. Look up ODI 10052469 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10081112 · 2004-07-15 (July 15, 2004)

FOLLOWING 15000 MILE ROUTINE SERVICE AND WHILE RETURNING TO MY HOME FROM THE NISSAN DEALER, MY NISSAN MURANO SE AWD'S BRAKE LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT WENT ON. I LOST COMPLETE POWER (VOLTAGE) WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN TO A MAJOR INTERSECTION. THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT OPERATE. NEARLY LOST MY LIFE WITH AN APPROACHING SAND TRUCK AND VEHICLES DRIVING BEHIND ME. THE PROBLEM/DEFECT IDENTIFIED BY THE DEALER WAS A FAULTY ALTERNATOR, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED UNDER CAR WARRANTY. PE04077_CAT

Owner-reported narrative. 15,497 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081112 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10100209 · 2004-11-19 (November 19, 2004)

CAR WOULDN'T START, TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. GOT IT BACK SAME DAY CLAIMING IT WAS FUSES. GOT STRANDED AGAIN THAT EVENING. TOWED IT TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO SAYS THEY REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND FUEL PUMP.*AK PE04077_CAT

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100209 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10120902 · 2005-05-13 (May 13, 2005)

IN FEBRUARY 2005 THE ALTERNATOR FAILED TO CHARGE THE BATTERY AND THE CAR SLOWED TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE BATTERY DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. I HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR WAS REPAIRED 48 HOURS LATER. IN MARCH 2005 THE GAS TANK LID WOULDN'T OPEN AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT TOOK 48 HOURS TO REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE "REPAIR" WAS DONE BY PRYING THE LID OPEN AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECIEVED THE NEW PART. IN MAY 2005 THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF A…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10120902 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10056911 · 2004-02-10 (February 10, 2004)

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT LOW RPM'S. POWER STEERING IS MINIMAL TO NON-EXISTANT WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST, LIKE IN PARKING LOT. 15,000 MILES.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10056911 at NHTSA ↗